Despite the rather poor reviews I read from the "professional" music critics, whether newspaper or television-based, this CD is anything but a failure in the eyes of this Miley Cyrus fan. Reading the reviews before this album came out left me with a rather negative and concerned vibe upon first sticking this disc in my CD player, but after a single listen I was rather pleased. After a dozen, two dozen, three dozen listens, I felt it would be appropriate to smack the critics aside the head with a frying pan to knock some sense into them, because this album is a strong release, whether or not it follows Miley's Hannah Montana-like pop formula people have come to expect from her.
And that's exactly the thing with this release: it's not Hannah Montana and it's not the music we heard on "Breakout." But it's not, as many people have said, Britney Spears, or any other pop star we've come across. It's still Miley Cyrus. Every song on the album was written, at least in part, by her, and the lyrics do have meaning. While many people see the image on the front cover of the album (or the more eye-catching image on the front of her "Can't Be Tamed" single) and make a snap judgment from it, I don't really feel the cover art is appropriate for what lies within the jewel case. I've heard the word "raunchy" thrown around, but the music is anything but that. I think for the most part this release is fit for many of the children who idolize Miley as Hannah Montana. The album's book has three photos of Miley, beautiful but not really inappropriate to any extent. Parents can check it out and give the disc a listen themselves first though.
There is an even mix of pop and dance beats as well as the ballads in which Miley shows off her true talent. Rock Mafia-produced "Who Owns My Heart" and "Can't Be Tamed," although both still great songs, seem to be obvious radio singles and little more than that; "Liberty Walk" could possibly be included in this category. For Cyrus, I feel they're weak songs, both creatively and lyrically, and the fact that such songs will likely be among the few that non-Miley fans will hear off this disc, this becomes a sad fact. Miley is facing some criticism for her use of auto-tune, especially in the aforementioned songs, but makes it clear in the other songs that this is only for creative purposes and that without a doubt she could go without auto-tune. The cover of Poison's "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" is quite decent, although obviously unoriginal. "Two More Lonely People" reminds me a great deal of some rather inescapable past Hannah Montana material and the ballads "Forgiveness and Love" and "Stay" are top-notch and beautiful, both with a pop country feel. Of all twelve songs, in my own personal opinion, "Permanent December" and "Take Me Along" are by far the best songs on this album, followed by "Robot." Listening from start to finish, it's a great album.
The DVD in the Deluxe Edition includes a great mix of 17 minutes of time with Miley off-stage as well as the performance of the full set list of the Wonder World Tour as performed the week before Christmas 2009 for an attendance-record crowd at the O2 in London. The total running time is 100 minutes.
This DVD is a must-have for any Miley Cyrus fan (or even any Hannah Montana fan). It is professionally produced, most obviously live without lip-synching, and enjoyable throughout with plenty of nice added extras. This concert DVD could have easily been released as a stand-alone product to bring in far more revenue, so the addition of this DVD to the "Can't Be Tamed" album for mere dollars extra is an awesome plus.
Having been a loyal, although not obsessive, Miley fan for some years, watching this DVD cemented her in my mind as a truly fabulous performer able to perform country, pop, and rock effortlessly with raw talent where many others stand undeservingly on stage. She has absolutely amazed me and won me over with this.
This concert is full of energy, numerous wardrobe changes, a few nice ballad moments, and a few seriously impressive screams.
A detailed look at the "Live at the O2" DVD:
* The menu allows you to jump directly to individual songs but does not give an option to jump directly to the extra segments between songs. However, you can navigate the disc by using chapters and will be brought straight to these extra tracks. There are 27 different parts to the disc, although the parts and the running time listed below do not reflect the exact placement of the chapters of the disc itself.
[#1] December 13: "Hello London" (Miley and her gang arrive in London for a sold out five-show set at the O2; Miley talks about performing in London) (3:26); [#2] December 20: "Wanna hear my fingers crack?" (a look into the happenings of Miley's dressing room pre-show, including joking around with her mother and getting ready for the show) (1:42);
[#3] Breakout (4:36); [#4] Start All Over (4:38); [#5] 7 Things (3:48); [#6] Kicking and Screaming (3:25);
[#7] December 19: "It's more about the music here" (Miley talks about the fans in the UK, her last pop album for a while, and the recording studio) (1:30);
[#8] Bottom of the Ocean (3:05);
[#9] December 20: "You have to buy it" (Miley goes shopping in Camden Town with pals [make up artist] Denika Bedrossian and [hair stylist] Scott Cunha, Part 1) (3:30);
[#10] Fly on the Wall (4:34); [#11] Let's Get Crazy (3:36); [#12] Hoedown Throwdown (2:13);
[#13] December 19: "Not sure if the Queen jams out" (Miley talks about being on tour and away from home for 3 months, a press day atop a double decker bus, and her performance for the queen) (2:33);
[#14] These Four Walls (4:08);
[#15] December 20: "I don't do hats" (Miley, Denika, and Scott shop for vintage pieces in Camden Town, Part 2) (2:49);
[#16] When I Look at You (3:58); [#17] Obsessed (4:10);
[#18] December 19: "The show can't go on" (Miley looks at the show's schedule for the first time in 59 shows then learns of the plan for two of the crew members to operate the spotlights on stage during the performance of "Spotlight") (2:19);
[#19] Spotlight (4:25); [#20] Girls Night Out (G.N.O.) (4:51); [#21] I Love Rock n' Roll (a cover of The Arrows'/Joan Jett and the Blackhearts' song in which Miley rides a Harley through the air above the crowd for nearly 3 minutes) (4:18); [#22] Party in the USA (4:29); [#23] Hovering (featuring Trace Cyrus, Miley's older brother, part of now-defunct band Metro Station) (3:19);
[#24] December 20: "This is how we roll" (Miley tours her Europe tour bus, meets the driver, and Hannah Montana co-star Mitchel Musso pays a surprise visit) (2:26);
[#25] Simple Song (4:46); [#26] See You Again (5:57); [#27] The Climb (5:11); Credits (1:08)
If you're even the least bit curious about Miley Cyrus, buy this album and make sure it's the Deluxe Edition.